Newsletter

New Beginnings: Apartment and Job at Harvard

New Apartment

I've been in my new Boston apartment for a little over a month now. Moving into a new apartment in Boston is a unique experience, to say the very least. In the Allston-Brighton area which is close to Boston University, there are loads of college students filing into the area from all over.

In Boston, everyone moves on the exact same day which is September 1st. Whoever thought that was a good idea needs to review that decision because chaos ensues. The narrow streets quickly fill up with U-hauls and pickup trucks that are fighting for space.

An interesting quirk concerning move-in day is that it's common to see departing residents tossing their old furniture into the street for others to take. Hence the creation of what is now referred to as "Allston Christmas."

Luckily, I actually got a free chair, coat rack, vacuum cleaner, in addition to the sofa chair I got from the girl that was leaving my current room. If you are moving to Boston, a word to the wise, avoid anything with fabric since bed bugs are a very real thing that you must avoid.

While I was eagerly waiting to hear back from my job applications, I ventured to thrift stores and HomeGoods to find fun inspiration to make my room cozier. One of my biggest scores are the brand new blush pillowcases I found that still had the tags on.

I also snagged some cute wall decor from the local target store for only 3 bucks a piece. My room is slowly coming together as I put personal touches on the space. The one thing that is missing is my kitty Coco, but she will finally be traveling to Boston with me on January 1st.

New Job

One big piece of news which you may have caught on my Instagram account is that after months of job hunting, self-doubt, and constant interviews I got a staff position at Harvard University. This new opportunity is very exciting and everyone I work with is so warm and welcoming.

Originally, I had tried to go through a temp agency to get my foot in the door, but they placed me at an opportunity that was not a great fit for my experience or goals. I knew I wanted to land a job with a university that I could picture myself working at for the long haul.

I decided to instead push forward and start applying for multiple positions at Harvard, my dream university to work for. I had one interview back in August but had heard very little. While this is nothing out of the ordinary as higher education is notoriously slow with their hiring processes, my funds were dwindling so I became quite nervous.

I applied for countless jobs but still was met with silence. After about a month and half of this, I had a bit of an anxiety attack and called my mom crying (sorry mom lol). I felt like no one thought I was good enough.

My mom told me that I had been through so much in the last year that in time I would find my way. Well, mother knows best because the next afternoon I got calls from Harvard for interviews with seven different departments.

Interview Process

Interviewing with a university as well-known as Harvard can be quite intimidating. Personally, I come from a one stop light town in rural Pennsylvania, so who would ever think that I would get to call myself a Harvard employee?

The biggest surprise for me was how kind and easy-going most of the departments were within Harvard. No one talked down to me or like I was just a number on an application. Everyone was genuinely interested in getting to know me and how I could help their department succeed.

It may sound odd given how stress inducing interviews can be, but I really enjoyed the experience of getting to know the staff around the university. When you are going through a period of job hunting you really need to push forward. It is often when we feel like giving up that the real opportunities are just around the corner. It definitely was in my experience, so believe in yourself and you will find your way too.

Currently, I am in the second week of my new job and I am so happy with my decision. I ended up being a finalist for the job I had interviewed for back in August and several of the later ones, but ended up going with my gut and accepted an offer from the department that I felt most at home with. My biggest recommendation is to trust the process. You will discover where you belong eventually.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links where I may receive a small commission from the company if a purchase is made at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services or products that I use and love.

Newsletter

Hello everyone! I am a Boston based blogger that loves all things travel and lifestyle. You can usually find me working away at my university job, snapping pictures, or trying out some new Korean food spots. I lived in Seoul for two years as a public school English teacher and am earning my Master’s degree in higher education administration.